Competition, Yay or Nay?
It seems that in dance there are two very distinct "camps." That is, those who support dance competition and those who do not.
I am 100% PRO Competition. I grew up as a competitive dancer in a well reputed studio and never once did I dislike a competition experience.
Those who are against competition usually have the following to say: Competition promotes low-self confidence and cattiness among students. Stressing learning routines takes away from time to learn technique.
In my opinion, that is not the case! In fact, I believe that competition promotes confidence. The judges I have had have never been anything but supportive and wonderful, offering up constructive criticism. I usually left competition and felt proud of my performance no matter what my medal standing (and for many years it certainly wasn't Platinum).
Dancers who do not compete miss out on the chance to be on stage frequently. Being on stage is absolutely imperative to being a dancer! Also, they don't get the chance to see what other talent exists within the dance world. Non competitive dancers often times live under a dance rock!
I do admit that I have seen technique suffer in some schools that stress routines during class time. However, many successful competition studios have managed to balance technique and choreography by creating separate technique classes plus required ballet. Also, I believe that students should be able to learn from the routines that they perform. In that case, learning choreography may even help dancers to grow.
Enough about me. What do YOU think?
posted by Evie @ 8:12 PM
1 Comments:
There is nothing wrong with competition in dance. It can be a very positive experience for many dancers. It all comes down to the fact that ALL studios (competative or not) must find appropriate balance between class time spent on technique vs. choreography, promoting confidence vs. cockiness, emphasizing performance product vs. artistic merit, and in-depth training in one method vs. having a wide range of experiences. Unfortunately, it is a balance that many establishments find it hard to maintain, but it is possible and some schools are great at it. It's important that studios/schools take time to self-assess from time to time and take a realistic and honest look at the areas that need improvement. So, for me competition is not the question. Thank you for pointing out some of the problem areas that may need to be addressed, though.
I do want to comment on one observation you made - non-competing dancers "don't get to see what other talent exists within the dance world." I would like to argue that this occurs in competative dance as well. I have witnessed competing dancers that are so focused on their competitors and winning in their particular circuit that they seem to also live under a rock, or at least in a bubble. Just something to consider! Great post!
Post a Comment
<< Home